1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a wheeled health care chair and, more specifically, to a reclining chair supported by a mobile base assembly for use in a health care environment which includes various features which serve to enhance the comfort of the seat occupant.
2. Description of Related Art
Wheeled chairs are widely used in a variety of both residential and commercial health care applications, and as such, are adapted to mobilize the seat occupant under a wide range of conditions. The prior art discloses various wheeled chairs which include features such as tilting foot rest assemblies, extendable leg rest assemblies, and reclining mechanisms which are movable between an upright position, a reclined position, or even a substantially flat gurney position. Traditionally, these wheeled chairs include large rear wheels so that the chair can be propelled more easily by the occupant. These larger wheels also provide added mobility over rough or uneven surfaces. However, the prior art discloses conventional wheel chairs which are geared more toward mobility of the seat occupant, and less toward the functionality and comfort of the seat occupant.
The frames of conventional wheel chairs are typically designed to be lightweight, which limits the number of comfort features which can be supported by or secured to the chair frame. Many of these frames tend to be hinged structures which also allow the wheel chair to be folded up into a more compact form. Accordingly, the ability to fold-up these chair frames, in addition to providing a chair frame which is convertible between a chair and a gurney, traditionally limits the amount of padding which can be included with the upholstering of the seat cushion and seat back. Thus, the prior art wheeled chairs tend to be lightweight and highly mobile, yet can be exceedingly uncomfortable to the chair occupant, especially to an occupant who spends significant amounts of time in a seated or reclined position. Further, these prior art wheeled chairs disclose seat backs which, although recline, do not provide any rearward tipping within the chair frame for properly supporting the weight of the occupant in a comfortable and orthopedically correct seated position.
Additionally, the prior art wheeled chairs are typically designed for specialized or limited purposes. More specifically, a wheeled chair with a reclining feature may not include an adjustable foot rest feature. A particular wheeled chair may be designed for only indoor use, and not for outdoor use. Additionally, a wheeled chair which is convertible into a gurney, will likely have inadequate contoured lumbar and head rest support for an occupant seated in the upright position. Thus, a wheeled health care chair which provides a wide range of functionality to the seat occupant appears to be conspicuously absent from the prior art.
Furthermore, there is a growing trend of providing for the health care needs of elderly and physically challenged individuals outside of a medical center environment. Many of these health care services are even provided within the individuals' homes. As such, it is desirable to provide a wheeled health care chair which is mobile, in that a care giver can easily push and control the direction of the chair, and the seat occupant can also self propel the chair. It is also desirable to provide a wheeled chair having outside dimensions which allow the chair to be easily maneuvered through residential doorways. Optionally, such a chair could allow interchangeable wheels so that an occupant could more easily self propel the chair using a larger set of wheels. In addition, it is desirable to provide a mobile chair which places significant emphasis upon the comfort features so that an individual spending longer periods of time within the chair is comfortable. It is also desirable to provide a wheeled chair which is convertible between a seating unit and a gurney style bed so that the occupant can be easily transferred from the wheeled chair in its gurney position to a bed. This feature could be enhanced with arm rests in which the vertical position of each arm rest can be selectively adjusted. It is also desirable to provide an assembly for supporting an oxygen bottle to assist in the care of the occupant during transportation. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a wheeled chair which can simultaneously meet all of these specialized needs, while providing a comfortable and functional environment for the occupant.